There's been a development in the ol' Drummond marriage, and I'm about to tell you what it is: Ladd and I got a hot tub.
A little background. When we started building our new house last year, we originally planned to go all in and have a pool installed, but thank goodness we came to our senses and changed our minds at the last minute. Ladd's mom had a pool at their house growing up (this was the same house where we eventually lived and raised our kids), and she regaled me with many horror stories through the years about what a maintenance nightmare it had been (what with the 40 mph winds, the dust, the tumbleweeds, and the occasional possum or raccoon), eventually leading her to drain it and fill it in with dirt well before I married her son. The ghost of Nan's old pool fortunately spoke into our ears from the backyard just before the backhoe broke ground last summer, and we thank our lucky stars we dodged that bullet.
In addition, Ladd and I have been to a pool together approximately zero times since we got married, so a pool made approximately zero sense. Instead, however, we decided a hot tub might be a great compromise: It makes a much smaller footprint, would be easier to take care of, and our aching joints would surely need it in the coming months and years. Another pro: Now that all the kids are gone from the house, we could have a hope of enjoying a hot tub relatively free of Pringles and pop cans (or other cans!)
Our hot tub officially became functional toward the end of this summer, and Ladd and I jumped in with both feet (figuratively speaking) the first evening it was hot. The only complication, and I'm sorry if this is too much information, is that because we aren't swimming pool people, neither of us owns a bathing suit. So we waited till dark because I'm shy about my body, traipsed across the yard wrapped in towels, and inched our way into the 103-degree water in our birthday suits. It was absolute bliss---warm, bubbly bliss---and we've enjoyed it three to four evenings a week ever since.
Now, lest you fear this story is going to devolve into a middle-aged Harlequin country romance: That water is way too hot for any of that. We may be naked, but we typically just sit in the heavenly water, stare up at the smog-free sky, talk about our hopes, dreams, concerns, and fears...and laugh at the dogs.
We laugh at the dogs because they are completely nonplussed at this new hot tub development. It's been three or four months, and they still can not understand why a) mom and dad are naked, b) mom and dad crawl into a water hole in the ground and stay for 20 minutes, and c) mom and dad are naked. Fred, Rusty, and Shelby typically stand on the ledge and stare, trying in vain to solve the above mysteries. And when I say they stare, they stare. Mostly at Ladd. They've never even seen him without a shirt.
The funniest, though, is Lucy. I don't have a photo of her near the hot tub, because she wants nothing to do with it or us when it's all going on. She is embarrassed and confused, feels our shame for us, and spends the whole time pouting on the porch, refusing to look in our direction until we cover ourselves.
I'll keep you posted on our hot tub adventures (within reason), but so far it's going swimmingly!
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
